A little Ronshine in her life
by Librana
Summary: It's Christmas Eve in his Senior Year and Ron isn't spending it at the Possibles. An entry to Whitem's 4th Winter competition.


**A little Ronshine in her life**

This story is set in the AU started in my story "_You promised we would get through this_" but there is no need to read that story as this one is stand-alone. Missing details will be filled in in future stories in this arc, but I hope that they don't detract from this tale.

Usual disclaimers apply – all rights to the characters are owned by the Disney Corporation (except maybe my OCs)

_It's not the turkey and the stuffing, or the gifts around the tree.  
It's a warm and fuzzy feeling that begins with you and me._

Pressing the doorbell, Ron stood expectantly inside the porch that sheltered him from the heavy snow, stamping his booted feet on the doormat to shake off the clinging white powder. He was carrying a backpack over his grey hooded anorak, and his breath made swirling patterns as it condensed in the cold air. Middleton was having one of its heaviest snowfalls for many years, and the air was cold and crisp. Ideal weather for a traditional Christmas were it not for the continuing snowfall and treacherous ice patches that had made his walk from home such a trial.

He looked up as the door swung open and he was greeted with a broad smile from the woman who answered the door. Mimi King was a tall statuesque blonde woman who looked way too young to have a seventeen-year old daughter, indeed the two of them were often mistaken for sisters. He smiled back at her.

"Ron, come on in out of the cold! You must be freezing!" He responded gratefully.

Mimi called over her shoulder. "Tara, Ron's here." As Ron walked over the threshold he was almost knocked over by the blonde cheerleader who had rushed down the stairs and hurled herself at her boyfriend, watched with amusement by her mother..

The other occupant of the hallway gave a slight grimace. Sam King was very fond of Ron, having seen the boy frequently over the last six months, but was uncomfortable with the public displays of affection his daughter was wont to engage in when her boyfriend came to visit. But tonight was Christmas Eve, and he was determined not to be the party-pooper when his wife was so obviously at ease with the young couple's behaviour towards each other.

Tara released Ron long enough to allow him to remove his backpack and coat, hanging the latter up on the hooks by the front door and putting the pack down. She looked eagerly at the pack. "No peeking Missy" Ron warned. "These are for after supper". Her faux-pout soon gave way to smiles as Ron gave her a chaste peck on the lips, conscious of the presence of her parents.

"Come through, everyone" – Sam led the way into the modest living room, which was dominated by a large Christmas tree in the corner, decorated with baubles and lights. Mimi gestured to the youngsters to take a seat on the sofa that was facing the blazing log fire. Ron settled down, grateful for the warmth and for getting the weight off his feet. He accepted a glass of warm mulled wine from Tara's father and sipped it slowly, savouring the sweet, cinnamon taste and feeling the alcohol warm his stomach.

"Is anyone else joining us tonight?" Ron asked tentatively. He was aware that Tara's grandmother had been unwell. He'd met Sam's mother once before at Tara's birthday and had immediately taken to the sprightly old lady. She in turn had made clear her approval of her grand-daughter's choice of boyfriend. "Not like that pretty boy you used to go out with!" she had exclaimed to a red-faced Tara. Ron had been flattered at the positive comparison with Josh Mankey. While he didn't actually dislike Josh, he had twice had to watch from afar as his crush crushed on the Monkey Boy. Even now he was wary around the popular student.

"No it's just us this evening, Ron" Tara answered. Her mother elaborated. "My mother-in-law wasn't up to making the flight from Florida. She's been staying with Martha Possible while she recovers from her hip operation. And Jon won't be back from Paris until February", referring to her son who was studying modern languages at the Sorbonne this semester.

Mention of "Nana" Possible brought memories of previous Christmas Eves flooding back to Ron. This was the first year since he was five that he wasn't spending the holiday evening at the Possible household and it felt, well, unnatural. Despite the warmth of the welcome at the Kings, he felt slightly guilty.

_Put away those petty problems and embrace your fellow man  
Then join the celebration all across this wonderful land._

Kim looked up as her father came down the stairs, dressed in his traditional reindeer sweater, false beard, wellington boots and wearing a broad grin. James looked across the room to the kitchen doorway, where a tinsel-bedecked Anne Possible was standing with a plate of mince pies in her hands and a bobble-hat on her head. Tim and Jim ran out of the kitchen past their mother, faces covered in icing sugar.

Supressing a shudder as the tweebs sat down on the sofa beside her in a cloud of white powder, Kim reminded herself that her family were not exactly run of the mill Middletonians and Christmas in their household was an excuse to let one's hair down.. She herself was dressed in grey cargo jeans and a bright red snowman-adorned shirt, the latter her concession to the festive atmosphere in the house. She smiled at her mother, who shrugged back at her with her trademark look of calm in the midst of familial chaos.

"It's Christmas Eve, family", James called out unnecessarily, as he walked across the room to his wife and took her in his arms, grabbing the dish from her just before it tumbled to the floor and setting it down on the sideboard. "Merry Christmas, honey" he murmured to Anne, who looked up at him with a smile that was still capable of thrilling him after so many years.

He looked up at the doorframe and grinned as he saw the piece of mistletoe that one of the tweebs had attached a few minutes earlier. "Now Annie, we mustn't let the kids down must we?" he chuckled. His wife coloured, but let her husband give her a brief kiss on her lips while Jim and Tim fell about on the floor, retching and laughing at the same time, which ended abruptly when Tim started coughing loudly.

Kim rolled her eyes at her brothers, but in truth she loved the easy way in which her family interacted and it lightened her spirit. It had not been easy for her since the fiasco of the Night of the Diablos earlier that year. She had called a halt to her missions after the humiliation of falling for a synthodrome and her subsequently limited role in thwarting Drakken. After that night, things had not been the same between her and her former BFF. Yes, Ron was still a friend, but a week or more could go by before they saw each other, especially as his relationship with Tara deepened. These days she saw a lot more of Monique than Ron, and the occasions on which she saw Ron were often shared with one or more of her other school-mates.

Life was a funny thing. She had started that day with a boyfriend and a girlfriend-less sidekick, and had ended it as a Prom wallflower watching a hero's first dance with his girlfriend.

It was not that she disliked Tara. Not at all. How could anyone dislike the sweet-natured girl? And she was glad that her friend had found someone who could give him what he needed, admiration and respect, something that she was painfully aware she had fallen down on, on more than one occasion.

As if reading her mind, her mother looked wistfully at the photograph on the wall that had survived the Diablo attack apart from a scorch mark on the top, the one that showed the two friends at Pre-K. Anne turned to face the room and Kim could see a look of regret on her mother's face, quickly masked as she realised that her daughter was watching her.

"It's no fun not having Ron here with us". Faces turned to Jim as he pouted.

"And he always brings such good presents" added Tim.

"Ron has his own family to look after this year". James knew that this was not true – the Stoppables were away in Norway – but he wanted to change the subject. He was aware that his daughter was uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. And he too missed the young man, another son in all but name, whose presence had been a fixture at their family gatherings until this season. He looked across at his wife, and she nodded silently.

Anne clapped her hands together. "Alright everyone, it's time for the Christmas poem. Whose turn is it to read this year?"

The others turned to Kim, who acknowledged them with a smile. As Anne passed around the mince-pies, Kim took a sheet of paper out of her pocket and stood up. Her family waited expectantly.

Kim cleared her throat, which had become unaccountably tight over the last few minutes.

"'Twas the night before Christmas .." she started. And the rest of the family kept silent as Kim threw herself into the story, acting out the parts and exaggerating the lines for effect.

As she came to the end of the poem, she was greeted with applause and cheers from the boys.

She looked around the room, and a wave of emotion swept through her as she felt the love from her parents and brothers. For the first time that evening she felt at peace. She didn't notice her mother's look of happiness as she watched her daughter shed her cares and whole-heartedly rejoin the family in spirit.

"Let's go through for dinner" James instructed, leading the way into the dining room.

And Kim's last thought as she sat down to eat – _at least this year there'll be some left-over turkey for me_.

_Have a ringlin', jinglin', kris-kringlin' Christmas,  
Have a hopalong, singalong, happy holiday._

Ron and Tara sat cuddled together on the sofa as they digested their Christmas meal. Mimi was used to feeding the waif-like girl a modest portion to keep her under the weight limit for the cheerleading team, and Tara had had to alert her mother to Ron's appetite to ensure a proper-sized portion for him. After dinner was over, Sam and Mimi had gone up to their room "to change into something more comfortable", giving the children some time to themselves.

"Let's watch TV", Tara said eagerly as she jumped up from the sofa to grab the remote control and pull up the listings. "Ooh look, the Powerpuff Girls!"

Ron grimaced, but was unwilling to spoil the moment. Figuring that anything was worth watching if he could snuggle up with his girlfriend, he watched good-naturedly as she selected the channel then settled down by his side to watch.

Twenty minutes later he heaved a sigh of relief when the closing credits appeared. He hadn't quite figured the storyline or the odd-shaped characters, but he had noticed that the blue-eyed blonde, bubbly one – ironically called Bubbles it seemed – had much in common with his girlfriend. They even sounded the same.

He looked up as the adults rejoined them, carrying gift-wrapped parcels. "Present time", Sam announced, as Mimi handed a box to her daughter and an envelope to Ron.

Tara opened her box and gave a whoop of delight as she found a white and silver watch. While Tara was hugging her parents, Ron opened his envelope, revealing two top-price tickets to the Colorado premiere showing of _Bricks of Fury IV – The Revenge of the Bricks_.

"Thank you so much Mr and Mrs King." he stuttered. "How did you get these?"

"Oh, you know, contacts." Sam smiled modestly, though he was pleased with the response. His daughter turned to Ron – "What have they got you?". She looked at the tickets, then uncertainly at his face. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Ron smiled at his girlfriend, knowing that this was not an evening she would relish, despite his company. "No, don't worry Tara, I'll go with Felix.". She was unable to hide her relief. "But I'm taking you to Bueno Nacho next week and you're not getting out of that" he laughed at her blush.

"I've got a present for you, Ron". He was intrigued by the enigmatic look on her face as she handed him a small parcel that looked like a wrapped doll. He looked questioningly at her as he opened the package. A thrill of fear ran through him as he looked down at the familiar shape of a Li'l Diablo. "What …" he exclaimed before he was interrupted by Tara's voice.

"It's not real. It's just a model. I got it as a memento of the day we got together."

He looked at her, her fear that she had upset him plastered across her face. He reached out and stroked her cheek with his fingers. "It's all right. It just took me by surprise. I'm glad you got it for me. That day ended up being the best day of my life." She relaxed and rested her palm on his outstretched hand. "For me, too", she whispered.

Getting up, Ron went to his backpack and removed several items. Turning to his girlfriend's parents, he handed them each a small package. Mimi kissed him on the cheek as she examined her gift, a cookery book. "It's written by the chef at Chez Couteau – he's really creative."

Sam smiled at the boy as he opened his own package to reveal a blue silk tie. "I hope you like it?" the younger man asked hesitantly.

"Very much, Ron", making a mental note to add the well-meant item to the large collection of ties added to each birthday and Christmas.

Ron turned to Tara. "And this is for you" he started as she snatched it out of his hand and opened the small box. She gasped with pleasure as she pulled out a silver charm bracelet and showed it to her parents. The adults turned to Ron and smiled approvingly.

"Look", Ron commented. "It goes with your new watch". He helped her put on the bracelet and watched as she held her wrist up to show off the two gifts.

_Booyah, _ he thought_, the Ron Man is an ace gift-picker for his bon-diggity girlfriend._

It occurred to him that he had not said that out loud. Was he getting more mature, or was he just not yet as at ease with Tara as he had been with Kim?

_Kim!_

"Er, Tara, Mr and Mrs King", I need to pay a visit." The others looked at him in surprise.

"You see, I've always spent Christmas at the Possibles." They looked at him strangely. _That didn't come out quite how I intended it._

"What I mean is, in previous years I've always gone to the Possibles for Christmas Eve. I've got their presents and I forgot to drop them in before I came here." He looked nervously at Tara, whose excitement at her gift had fallen away as he talked.

He looked at her anxiously. "Tara, please don't be upset, but I really do need to drop off these presents before tomorrow morning. The Possibles have been almost like family to me all these years. I'll come straight back, I promise."

Tara stared sternly at her nervous boyfriend, then her eyes softened.

"Of course you must go, Ron. And it would be rude to just drop off the presents and then rush back. But be back here by eleven, I want to watch _A Christmas Carol_ with you before we go to bed."

And she watched him leave the house with his backpack

_It's not that I don't trust him, but always, she's there._

_And when the snow starts falling, we'll voice a hearty cheer  
For the rootin-est, tootin-est, high-falutin-est favourite time of year!"_

The meal over, the Possibles disported themselves in their newly-decorated large lounge, the Diablo damage now no more than a memory. Gifts had been exchanged, and a long-distance call to Florida to wish Nana a merry Christmas. Kim had been surprised to learn that Nana wasn't coming this year – it seemed she had a house guest, a good friend who was recuperating from an operation. Her absence, together with Ron's, meant that the house felt emptier than usual.

She thought back to the previous Christmas. It seemed hard to believe that it was only a year since the drama of rescuing Ron from the North Pole after he had taken on Drew Lipsky single-handledly in space. She remembered how empty she had felt when he had failed to show for supper. Who would have believed at the time that he wouldn't be joining them this year either?

She felt dislocated, as if the natural scheme of things was unravelling before her eyes.

_We're not in pre-k anymore. Time to grow up._

She was suddenly reminded of her words to Ron last summer. It seemed easy to say then. But maybe it was she that needed to do the growing up.

_I'm losing everything I ever cared about._

She missed his goofiness, the intimate chats and – especially – the laughs.

He had grown up.

Just like she told him to.

So why couldn't she be happy for him?

A knock at the door.

_Who's coming by at this hour?_

James strode up to the door and peered through the spyhole. His eyes widened as he saw who was waiting outside. Stepping back he swung open the door with a smile. "Ronald, good to see you. Merry Christmas. What a lovely surprise"

Kim felt uncharacteristically nervous in the presence of her childhood friend as he turned to her. "Hello, KP. I meant to come by earlier but .. well I just forgot really."

"You're here now, that's what matters". Anne gave him a hug. "I hope you can stay a while?"

"Well I have to get back to the King's, but I can stay an hour or so."

"You're spending the holiday with Mimi and Sam?" James enquired.

"Yes, they've been very hospitable." _Just _l_ike you guys._

"Well, sit down and I'll go and make you a hot chocolate" – the practical side of Anne took control and she strode into the kitchen, followed by her husband.

"Ron!". He looked up to see the twins running down the stairs to greet him excitedly. His face lit up. He always had time for those two.

Kim watched quietly as Ron ruffled the hair of her two brothers, who were showing him their presents. James looked in from the kitchen. "Boys, come in here and help us with the washing up."

"Ahh, must we?" exclaimed Tim. The look from his father silenced the boy and the twins meekly joined their parents in the kitchen.

Ron turned to the remaining occupant of the room.

"KP, I've got something for you." At her surprised look, he added. "It's not much but I couldn't let Christmas go without getting you a present.".

_Oh Ron, and I didn't even get you anything._

"You didn't go on a mission to stop Drakken again did you?". She immediately regretted her flippant remark.

"No, not this time". He seemed unperturbed by her comment. "Yes, last year was a bit crazy wasn't it!"

He pulled a box out of his backpack and handed it to her. She held it in her hand for several seconds.

"Open it" he encouraged.

Kim opened the small package, removing the tissue paper to reveal an enamelled brooch, engraved with the words _Friends Forever_. She looked up at him, a lump in her throat.

"Ron, it's beautiful." She meant the sentiment more than the item. "Thank you so much."

_He still cares about me! He still wants to be friends!_

"I'm sorry I haven't got anything for you, but I promise to make it up with a Grande nacho at BN."

He smiled at her. "You're on.". And she smiled back at him, feeling like a weight had been lifted from her heart.

Neither of them saw Anne and James looking on from the kitchen doorway. They turned to each other and as their eyes met they shared the same thought. _Please let these two remain friends. Our daughter will always need some Ronshine in her life._

James coughed to attract their attention as Anne walked in with mugs of hot chocolate.

"Everybody sit down.". He walked over to the television and switched the set on..

And as the familiar strains of the introductory music to "The Six Tasks of Snowman Hank" filled the room, the Possibles and one Stoppable looked at each other and, as one, raised their mugs and wished each other a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

**Author's note**. I have assumed that the episode _A Very Possible Christmas_ takes place during their Junior year – this story is set one year later, in their Senior year.

The lyrics to the Snowman Hank song are taken from Diane Duane's blog – I haven't had the chance to check them against the episode.

Oh, and there's a Christmas egg hidden in the Powerpuff scene.


End file.
